As a child, I remember cheese being my favorite snack. I loved to have a cold string cheese while doing my homework and relaxing after a long day of school. Not only do I eat it as a snack, I sprinkle it on almost all my meals. Now, there seems to be an answer for my preference for cheese. The University of Michigan studied people’s preference for cheese and their findings can be found here.

The University of Michigan termed this addiction as “cheese crack.” The study examined why people have a greater preference to certain foods. Researchers questioned 500 students and found out the favorite food among these students using the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Pizza was the considered the most addictive food because, of the cheese melted on top. The reason behind this result is scientifically based.

The study identified certain foods are addictive due to the way they are created. Highly processed and fatty foods are associated with addictive eating behavior because, as humans, we have an instinct to crave high energy foods at keep us satiated for long periods of time. Cheese has an ingredient called casein, which can be found in all dairy products. This protein releases casomorphins during digestion, which stimulate the dopamine receptors in the brain. When the dopamine receptors are triggered, the addictive behavior to cheese is presented. This article helped explain my desire for cheese and why I put cheese as a topping on most of my foods.